


Finn/Poe Trilogy Part 2: Canto Bites

by lordhadrian



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Star Wars Setting, Canto Bight, Fusion of Star Wars Legends and Disney Canon, Gay, Gay Male Character, Jedi, M/M, Movie: Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Post-Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Post-Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Racing, Star Wars References
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-26
Updated: 2020-01-26
Packaged: 2021-02-27 06:02:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,155
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22412203
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lordhadrian/pseuds/lordhadrian
Summary: Turmoil and darkness over shadow the galaxy as the First Order becomes more powerful.  A scheme by Lando, DJ and Watto on Planet Contonica goes awry, and Leia must send a rescue mission to save them, and a large sum of money that could help resupply the Resistance.Poe Dameron, Finn and Rey team up with Chewbacca, Rose, Paige and a curmudgeony Luke Skywalker to pull off an impossible mission against an arrogant First Order Admiral controlling Canto Bight.Things do not always go as planned, but there are a few surprises for everyone in this tale......
Relationships: Poe Dameron & Finn, Poe Dameron/Finn
Comments: 15
Kudos: 5





	Finn/Poe Trilogy Part 2: Canto Bites

**Author's Note:**

> I've been wanting to finish this story for the past two years, after watching "The Last Jedi". I really tried to like the movie, but it wasn't my favorite. It does have some interesting ideas, however, and I liked Canto Bight for its story possibilities.
> 
> I am also a big Stormpilot fan, so I wanted this to be a continuing adventure of Finn/Poe with some romance.
> 
> I liked the thinly veiled hints in the trilogy of Finn being Force sensitive, so I wanted a little of that to come into play. I also liked the character of DJ, so I had to include him, even if I kind of twisted his character's motivations a bit. I added Watto to this story just to do something completely off the rails....
> 
> I had planned on having the story revolve around the Farthier racing when I started this story back in 2018, so it is a coincidence that I have a horse charge in this story that feels like the horse charges in "Rise of Skywalker".
> 
> Being that I am not wholly a fan of Rian Johnson's movie, I decided to be subversive with my story just as he was with his. If you like TLJ, that's perfectly cool. This story is purely tongue in cheek, lol, so I wanted this to be more fun than a critique on Episode VIII.
> 
> I confess this story is way over the top and clumsy. It is a silly, romaticized take on ideas from the sequel trilogy. I love writing over the top, heroic cheese. It's who I am. Read and enjoy. I included a youtube link to some music that helped me finally finish this story.

Finn/Poe Trilogy Part 2: Canto Bites

"I think we're making a big mistake" DJ whispered into his mic as he strolled through the gambling Den.

"Nothing ventured, my friend" Lando smiled as he played one of his cards at a large table, keeping his mouth close to his mic without drawing attention "Besides, if we don't get this info to the Resistance, the General will be vulnerable" He smiled as the other players threw down cards or folded. He came up a loser, but deliberately. The wealthy around him cheered the winner across the table. "And these kids will have no future" Lando grimaced a little, thinking about the dozens of slave children working on the planet.

"Not much of a future even if we win" DJ looked around as he worked his way through the crowd. So much money in the place, he wished they could just pull off a normal heist instead of playing a high stakes political risk.

"Both of you need to focus!" Watto flitted around in a haphazard disguise. He was serving drinks in the huge den. Though floating around the room past large dice tables, Watto was squarely focused on Lando's chief opponent, Admiral Rani. The small ginger headed man was a pompous Commander in the vast Imperial fleet. Short and stocky, he made up for it with a fiery temper, especially when he gambled and lost. Watto made sure he observed Rani's hand carefully with his sharp Toydarian eyes while being wary of the admiral's intimidating droid sidekick, IO9.

DJ watched security, Watto spied the Admiral's cards, and Lando tried to play himself off as a chump to lure Rani into the greatest kind of confidence, a confidence that would soon cost the Admiral a planetary fortune.

Most of the card players folded and left as Rani laughed, amassing most of their money. "I guess this is not how you expected the game to end?" he chuckled. Lando was losing a huge sum of money, but it was all part of the risk. In the final moments of the game, Watto panicked as he peeked at the Admiral's new hand, in what looked to be the final round.

"Impossible!" Watto barely contained his shock while trying to hold onto his tray of drinks "He has a full pyramid! You can't bet the payoff! The odds of beating him-"

"-Never tell me the odds!" Lando smiled with fierce eyes. In moments, Lando laid down his cards, and Watto's heart stopped. Rani's smile of victory faded.

Lando gave him the biggest **** eating grin "I believe this trumps your pyramid!" The casino almost stopped as Watto screamed and dropped his drinks. His wings gave out and he almost feinted as he spiraled to the floor for a minute, though nobody realized it was because even the old bird could not believe the Con that was just pulled in the greatest game between sparkling good and dismal evil at a card table.

Rani grimaced as Lando scavanged the money quickly from the table, and activated a signal on a wrist band.

"Pack it in!" DJ whispered into his mic. He observed a half dozen Imperial security guards marching towards the Admiral "They've just called out the guard dogs!"

"I'm detecting a signal between the gambler Lando and somebody nearby!" IO9 point a metal finger accusingly at the old rogue

Lando almost glided away with smoothocity. "CHEATER!! There's no way you could have had expectations of what my hand would be!" Rani pointed at him, a sore loser through and through "Stop him!" Lando dipped into the crowd of spoiled gamblers and well dressed rogues. Storm troopers scrambled to grab every blue cloak and tunic, but Lando had been prepared for that eventuality as well.

"Good thing I convinced the guests to dress in the same outfits! A fashion statement for the rich and famous is going to buy me some time!" he quipped.

"I'm outside the balcony!" DJ replied urgently. Lando had the massive amounts of credits and money chips in a satchel, tossing it out the balcony to DJ.

"I'm clear on the casino!" Watto flitted through an exit in a kitchen, away from security.

Lando prepared to jump, but was hit by a stun blast from inside!. "Lando!" DJ called out, but he ran as he saw IO9 grab Lando to pull him back into the casino. DJ ran off to meet up with Watto and avoid capture.

"Only a fool would act as such a predictable Hero!" IO9 berated him. The large brute droid tossed Lando towards the angry Admiral.

Rani grabbed the dazed rogue and grunted "My Money!! WHERE'S MY MONEY!!"

"I won, fair and square! You can't hold me!" Lando grunted back

"You cheated! And you had help! I want the spaceport on lockdown! No ship leaves Canto Bight until I have my money back!! Take this con man to the brig!!" Lando was shuffled away unceremoniously. Rani would not rest until he discovered Lando's accomplices, hunted them down, and took his riches, enough money to buy a planet. Enough money to free slaves. Enough money to resupply the Resistance fleet. Lando braced for the interrogation he was about to receive, which no doubt would include quite a beating for the Admiral's hurt pride.

Rey felt the wind blowing across her face as she sat outside Luke's home. For the 3rd day in a row. He was not the Man she had hoped he would be. She came looking for the Hero. But Luke had retired himself from the Galaxy. He was older, wiser, perhaps more cynical, as people were to become when they aged. The appeal of heroics no longer interested him. And so, he stayed in his stone hut on the rocky Island on Ach-To.

But she was able to reach him in a small way when the Force led her to the sacred texts. She entered the small, hollowed out tree sanctuary where the ancient books were held.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I've been here before. Or at least....this place looks familiar" She looked around

"That's impossible" Luke shook his head in disbelief "I'm the first Jedi to step into this place in over 400 years. This whole planet has been overlooked by the galaxy."

"What is this place?" She continued to pique his curiosity.

"It's a shrine....or a tomb. Depending on your point of view" Luke smiled, amused at his Kenobi-ish sense of things. "Where are you from?"

"Nowhere in particular. I'm nobody" she answered humbly as she looked at him with a bit of awe that he would even be remotely curious about her.

"there's no such thing as a nobody" Luke answered "Because I'm a nobody too. At least, I used to be a nobody when I was your age."

"Impossible!" Rey gasped that he would be so self deprecating "You're Luke Skywalker! The great hero who saved the Republic!"

Luke sat down next to her in the small tree sanctuary and chuckled "I don't think I saved a lot. Well, I did some things to help against the Empire. But, in the end, I don't think it amounted to much."

"Nonsense!" Rey burst her opinion "You've inspired so many people to rise up against tyranny!"

"I inspired people to fight against the inevitable. Listen..." Luke explained almost paternally "The Jedi stood for Order, tried to keep law and a status quo in the Republic, and they did a good job against the chaos for hundreds of years. But all things come to an end. All things change eventually."

"But we CAN restore the Republic!" she insisted. Rey was still young and full of energy to fight. Luke felt tired against her energy.

"The Jedi tried to remain a constant, but entropy and change are inevitable. I tried to rebuild the Jedi. I tried to maintain order with a new generation. But I.....I couldn't do it. I failed."

"No!" She "There's still a chance."

"With whom?" Luke shrugged "My student, Ben....he destroyed my academy. All my students were either killed or converted....into the Knights of Ren. There are no more Jedi when I'm gone.....there's no one left...."

She stepped towards him. Luke looked into her eyes, and suddenly became curious. "Who are you really? Why are you here?"

"I....have something within me. I've always had it, but I do not understand it. I'm not just here to plead for your help on behalf of General Leia....but to also learn about what it is that affects me. This thing that makes me see visions, and gives me....extraordinary functions..."

Luke stared at her for a moment, just a sparkle of hope in his eyes. but then the sparkle dims and he shakes his head "I'm sorry. I'm just an old fool. I can't help you" he got up to leave.

The Resistance fleet made the jump into hyperspace after leaving Polis Massa. As the fleet moved onward through space, the officers met around the strategy table. A series of unfortunate events had made everyone quieter than their previous celebrations after a major victory escaping the First Order's attempted sneak attack. It was a temporary victory. General Leia, Admiral Ackbar, Vice Admiral Holdo and Commander Dameron looked over a transmission from Canto Bight.

DJ and Watto were on the comlink to the Resistance command. Watto was explaining how a complicated scheme went awry. "We won, with Lando's skill. It should have been enough, and the authorities of Canto should have covered our escape. But uh....Admiral Rani....he...was not happy to lose. So he had Lando thrown into prison. DJ was able to smuggle the credits....but ehhhh.....We have no way off of Planet Cantonica anyway. The Planet is on a lockdown. Not that the rich fools here care. They continue to have fun. But Rani....he is searching for us and the money...." Watto ends the transmission, leaving the Resistance command in a dire situation.

"Our fuel can get us to Crait" Ackbar sighed "But we'll be dead in the water without the funds to buy supplies from the Hutt cartel."

"I detest the Hutts. They're thugs!" Poe shook his head "If only we could just take it from them, or just call one of our other allies!" BB-8 beeped in agreement.

"We can't afford any more enemies, Commander. Most of our allies have gone into hiding after the destruction of Hosnian Prime." Leia explained slowly to the energetic pilot "We need to find Lando's accomplices and get that money so we need to keep the Resistance alive. Otherwise we are just orbiting Crait until the First Order finds us...."

"And blows us out of that orbit" Holdo concludes. She was deep in thought, but there was no solution for escape, only that a team needed to be put together to go to Canto Bight. "I hope Lando will be okay" She tried to change the subject.

"Lando can hold off the First Order until we rescue him. He won't give away our secret involvement in this. Right now, they just think he's a skilled swindler. I mean, he IS a skilled swindler, but his connection to us will not be obvious...." Leia smiles a little.

"Granted, Admiral Rani is not that bright" Holdo points out "But when he figures out Lando is THE Lando....you know, Hero from the battle of Endor.....he will not show mercy!"

"We will need to put together a recon team that can infiltrate Canto Bight, find this DJ fellow and Watto with the money, and figure out a way to rescue Lando past their blockade." Ackbar put his hands on his hips and studied a schematic of Canto's terrain for a secret landing. "If the team can pull away from Canto, we can rendez-vous around Crait."

"We can't leave Lando there. I won't abandon him." Leia looked on, almost saying it subconsciously. She couldn't bear to lose another old friend.

Poe's eyes clicked with Leia's as she said it "Then it's not just a recon mission. It's a rescue! Maybe...we should call Rey back to the fleet"

"Why?" The General looked at him curiously

"She more qualified for these kinds of missions. Plus, she has that....you know, Force thing. She can lift rocks with her mind."

"Commander Poe, you and Finn can take the lead on this one." Poe looked at her with a little surprise. BB-8 beeped with excitement for a new adventure.

"But I'm not trained for espionage" he cautioned "The First Order knows who I am, and I would be reckless. We'd be in trouble the moment I landed on the beaches of Canto Bight. I'm not subtle, you know. Finn should lead the group. He knows how to get into Imperial territory unnoticed. I'm a troublemaker. You know...shoot first and ask questions later"

Leia looked at him, half sternly, half maternally "Amazing. Every word you've just said is wrong."

Poe blinked.

"Stop being dramatic, Poe. Subterfuge and espionage aren't exactly your strengths...." Leia stopped herself as she did some fast thinking "But a good offense is the best defense. Maybe now is the time for you to shoot first and ask questions later!"

"Wait..What?" Poe raised an eyebrow in surprise "Is that....a yes? To me?"

"Did I stutter?" Leia almost smirked, but kept her serious face. "Put together your team. Time is of the essence. Go to Canto, contact Watto, find DJ. Secure the money and rescue Lando. Meet us on Crait. If ANYONE can break past a Orbital lockdown with a daring escape, it's you. Now move" she smiled and nodded for him to get cracking.

Holdo, Ackbar and Poe looked at each other as the meeting abruptly ended "May the Force be with you" The Vice Admiral whispered to him. Poe nodded at them and turned to leave. He was excited and a bit scared.

Poe went to Finn, and prepped to gather others. The dashing pilot looked at Finn, hesitating.

"What's the word?" Finn asked.

"A rescue mission. We need to put together a team and go to Canto Bight"

Finn felt a flavor of awe course through him "What? WE? Going to Canto?"

"Yeah" Poe nods and starts to pack some supplies into a pack "The General wants us to find Lando Calrissian, and recover the money we need to resupply the Resistance fleet. To DO that, we need to contact Lando's companions, a Toydarian named Watto and a rogue named DJ when we reach the planet. You up for it?" he asked as professionally as possible. Despite trying to keep this as operational as possible, Poe hid deep down his anxiety. He knew the risks, and was equally nervous if Finn said No or Yes to joining the team.

"I'm in" Finn looked at him "Who else do we have?" BB-8 beeped once more with enthusiasm. He was definitely on the team.

"Well, we need to call Rey" Poe suggested "The sooner she can get here, the better. She was very helpful on StarKiller. I'm also getting Rose and Paige to pilot our escape craft. With Canto Bight on lock down, we'll need them to watch over our getaway once we get Lando and the money"

"We could use the Falcon!" Finn said excitedly and pressed his hands on Poe's chest. It was not an intimate move, but more of an exclamation for the idea.

Poe smiled, also as an exclamation to use the Millenium Falcon. It was the perfect ship for crashing a party and escape. "I like that! That could work! Come on!" he exited the room with his droid buddy to get the Tico sisters.

On Planet Acht To, Rey followed Old Jedi Master Luke around as he listened to her half heartedly. She tried to explain, with the deepest respect, that she had searched him out. But Luke was too weary to care. He had spent too many years trying to believe in his own hype. Han Solo's death and Kylo Ren's betrayal took the wind from his sails, and he could not bring himself to revive the Jedi Order a second time.

Rey had received a call from Poe. The urgency of the mission could no longer wait. Maybe Luke was not willing to be her teacher, but perhaps prevent another old friend from meeting a terrible fate.

"Master Skywalker! Wait!" she called out.

"What do you want?" he asked wearily.

"I've got to get Chewie and leave. Look, I tried to reach you, but I can see your time has past." she looked at him with a sober expression "I guess the spark has gone out, hasn't it?"

He looked at her for a moment with guilt, then looked away "The age of heroes is over. No one wants heroes anyway. Everyone seems to want something new. I tried to keep up with what the Jedi were in the past. But the past is dead now."

"Well, then it's time to focus on the present. I've been told that one of our Resistance agents has been captured on Canto Bight. I need to go get him"

Luke shrugged and gave a *pff* noise with contempt "Canto Bight is a hive of scum and villainy. Makes Mos Eisley look like a nursery."

"We hoped to thwart the First Order there and revive the Resistance. The mission did not go as planned."

"I feel bad for the agent. The First Order have their filthy hands all over Canto Bight!" the old Jedi shook his head and wiped his hands "Who ever you sent there to foil the Order is probably already dead!"

"I have to try" Rey replied timidly. She didn't want to waste anymore time "It means a lot to General Leia to rescue her friend from the clutches of Admiral Rani and his storm troopers."

"Rani" Luke sighed at the name. "An ambitious desk clerk with Admiral's bars. Leia may be in over her head trying to rescue her friend. Who are you going after?"

"Lando. Lando Calrissian." Rey looked at him. Luke glared at her. The name struck his heart. A life time of memories flooded him. In his youth, he felt the thrill of adventure with these comrades. He was at the age, now, where it seemed the cruel galaxy was slowly stealing from him. With each friend in peril, it was as if his own life and legacy were slipping away.

"I'm so sorry" he whispered in shock.

"Anyway, I need to meet up with my friends. We have to try. Saving Lando could help save the Resistance." she walked away. Luke stared off at the sea surrounding his Island sanctuary. He now pondered the situation in a new light.

"Oh Yoda" he sighed "If only you were here. I don't know what to do. I'm so tired. No one wants a broken down old man getting in the way....." he looked at the sun as it started to set on the horizon. He had hoped to end his days here. He had hoped to end the Jedi quietly. But leaving Lando in the hands of the First Order was an unsatisfactory conclusion to his story. Maybe history would write him off as a bitter recluse. It would certainly appeal to the kind of people in this galaxy who had soulless hearts of stone for Heroic Jedi Knights like himself and those of the Old Republic. But then again, maybe there was time enough for one last trick up his sleeve.

One last amazing adventure for the last chapter in the Skywalker Legacy.

"Come on Chewie" Rey boarded the ship "There's nothing here for us." Chewie growled with disappointment. They walked into the cockpit and sat with a quiet prepping of the ship. As Rey started getting the engines warmed up, Chewie prepped the navigation for jumping to meet with Poe and his team.

Luke entered the cockpit humbly. Rey and Chewbacca turned to look at him, surprised. They all stared at each other for a silent moment.

"Well don't let me hold things up" he grunted with a twinkle in his eye.

Rey cracked a smile and got up to try to hug him. Luke put his hands up to block her "Don't thank me yet" he warned "Let's go get Lando. IF we can pull this off, which I doubt, there will be plenty of time for all the warm feelies." he sat down as they finished prepping and launched the Millenium Falcon.

Lando was carried by the towering golem droid, IO9. They reached his cell and the mechanical hulk tossed him in without ceremony

"You could learn a thing or two about maybe having more compassion, lady!"

IO9 had a feminine voice, but was not in the mood for his fast talking. "Compassion is for sentimental fools, human. I am built in a world of harder emotions. You may be able to ccharm other humans, but your fan service has no effect on me, nor the Admiral!"

"Shame, really. You have the voice of a droid who could live in a softer environment."

Disgusted by his approach, IO9 slammed the cell door shut. The droid walked away, Lando sighed and rested on his prison cot, but did not appear too distressed.

Poe, Finn, Rose, Page and BB-8 waited for the Falcon in the hanger bay. "I'm still not comfortable with this mission" Rose stared off into space "Canto Bight is a miserable place"

Paige stood next to her in support "We were orphans that escaped a place like Canto Bight. They are the true corruption in the galaxy!"

"All the more reason we need to go there." Finn concluded

The Falcon came out of hyperspace towards the hanger bay. Rey called out to land and refuel the ship for the next jump to Canto Bight. Poe grabbed some gear as the ship landed.

"We jump in 15 minutes. Let's not get too distracted by the shiny lights and glitter of the planet. They throw a lot of money around, but it's smellier than a gundark pit" he led them to board the ship.

Rey rushed out to hug Poe and Finn. "You're a sight for sore eyes!" Finn hugged her close. Chewie roared with happiness and engulfed Poe in his furry arms

"Good to see you too, buddy!" he chuckled, losing all his seriousness in the warmth of the moment.

Rey gathered everyone as Luke walked out to greet everyone."So, you fly with THESE people? You're braver than I thought"

"Nice" Rey rolled her eyes with a bit of return snark.

He smiled and waved "Ready for a suicide mission of epic proportions?" They were a bit too star struck to answer, facing the legend himself.

"We're ready to do whatever it takes to finish this." Poe answered.

Luke glanced over them, non plussed "Uh Huh" he nodded, perhaps a hint of doubt in his resigned observations "Well, it was never easy when I was your age, and things haven't changed. Come on, kids. Let's go save the galaxy again!"

Chewie warpled with enthusiasm as they were about to board the ship. Luke stopped and suddenly saw General Leia from a distance. She smiled at him, and he could sense the warmth from her heart.

"I knew you wouldn't leave us" he could sense from he

He stared back as their bond in the Force became strong again "I'm sorry..."

"I know" she nodded "I'm just glad you're here"

"I'll get Lando back"

"It may be too late already. So much time has passed."

"It's never too late to change the course of things." he concluded, smiled, and walked up into the Falcon to join the others. Leia watched with anxious energy, but smiled back as the ship lifted off and headed for Canto Bight.

The ship exited hyperspace towards Canto Bight. Several heavy Star Destroyers were out and about, but Rey flew deftly about to avoid their scanners.

"I've found Watto's signal" Paige observed from her seat behind Chewbacca.

"I've locked on it" Rey flipped some switches "We'll land outside the city in the grass" she maneuvered the ship into a safe place. Rey, Luke, Poe, BB-8, Finn and Rose walked from the ship through the tall grass while Chewbacca and Paige watched over the ship and the perimeter.

Poe held out his tracking fob to the sewers after a bit of walking "Well, I hate to say it but this is a perfect hiding spot. None of these rich snobs are going hunting for criminals in here." he grimaced at the stench. He and Finn pulled open a sewer grate to go down a ladder into the tunnels.

"I could have just....well, you know..." Luke offered, motioning his hand. He and Rey glanced at each other and shrugged as the young men pulled the grate open and jumped into the tunnel. They could hear the loud parties, the music, and the gambling chaos in the casinos, along with the rumblings of the races nearby.

"Man, this place never sleeps, does it? Do they party all the time?" Finn pondered out loud. BB-8 whistled and beep cautiously at the revelry from above.

Rose frowned "These people are so rich and decadent, they've lost all sensitivity to any other thrills. Gambling is the only excitement they can have. Especially when they gamble away the lives of others. They have no feeling left. Just numbness to anything resembling decency. They use child labor and slaves to keep the city running. Slaves from worlds devastated by their weapons and wars."

Luke nods as they walk "We used to think the Empire was the greatest evil in the galaxy. Oh, It was cruel, and Palpatine made many worlds suffer under his grip. But THIS is where true evil begins. These people are weapon merchants. And they sold to everyone with credits. The Rebels, the Empire, mercenaries, pirates.....even the Hutts! Palpatine wanted a Sith Empire to control. But these people only care about money, and it didn't matter how many suffered and died for this petty luxury"

They all stopped as another voice chimed in. "Money is a great addiction. Do not underestimate it. You may put your faith in the Force, Jedi..." Watto rebutted "But MONEY makes the galaxy go around. The power of your Force is insignificant to what money can do to whole worlds..."

"You willing to bet on that, Watto?" Luke smirked

"Let's not test any theories right now" Poe waved them both to end the debate "Watto, you okay? Where's DJ?"

DJ entered into the light "You have a ship? The night will last for 6 more hours on this world. Time to go" he holds up the satchel with the credits. Enough money to buy a planet and live like a king for many years. But No one was thinking of the money at this time.

"Do you know where they are keeping Lando?" Poe asked.

DJ shook his head "My friends, he's as good as dead. He's in the maximum security facility on the other side of the city. And even without Admiral Rani's troopers, Canto Bight's guards are more than enough. There's too many. We need to go now."

"No way!" Rose objects "We came to get all of you. We need to get Lando!"

"He's right" Watto sides with DJ "there's too many guards. No way we can free him with the First Order watching his cell"

"How about this" Luke interjects "DJ, Watto, you two have already done your part. Get back to the ship. Rey and I will free Lando while you three" he points to Finn, Rose and Poe "create a distraction. If Rey and I get captured, it's no big loss. With or without Lando, get back to the ship with those credits and return to Leia."

Poe nods "Sounds like a plan. I like that"

Luke shrugs "Well, I'm not the smartest spoon in the drawer but I at least like to inform everyone of a plan. Even if it's a terrible one."

Rey frowned, but silently followed Luke's initiative.

"So, what kind of distraction can we create?" Finn looked at Poe. Rose' eyes lit up at the chance to screw up things for the decadent rich people "We can hurt them good, and maybe free some of the slaves trapped here...." Rose explained her plan, DJ and Watto exited towards the ship.

Rey caught up with Luke with a disagreeing expression. "You're unhappy with my plan? That makes two of us" Luke snarked

"Why can't we ALL go free Lando and make a break for the ship? Why are you risking yourself? You're the future of the Jedi!"

"I have no future, and neither does the Jedi Order. The Empire made sure to spread lies and accusations about the Order throughout the galaxy. Most people think we're dead and gone anyway. Why bring it back? The galaxy doesn't want us. It doesn't want the heroic hubris of the Jedi. I'm not sure what they want, but it isn't us."

Rey walked on, quietly shocked at his attitude "Besides" he continued "There's only two of us. How are we going to rebuild the Order? Force sensitive kids aren't exactly knocking at my door to join! Probably for the best. Keeping up my image as a Jedi like this is very tiring and I could use a nap."

"Always trust in the Force" Rey countered "It led us here for a reason"

Luke shrugged "Uh huh".

Quietly, Finn and Poe made their way to the stables. The animals, farthier riding beasts were restless in their captivity, but quieted as they saw them. They could tell these were not the usual First Order guards, and sensed that something was afoot.

Rose smiled as each of the steeds popped their heads out from their respective stable. She started to open one of the stables. "Hey!" one of the stable kids gasped.

Poe and Finn jumped a little as the kid was right behind them.

"You're not supposed to be here" The kid whispered, a little afraid.

Finn calmed him down, then realized they were surrounded by a couple dozen young kids of various ages. "It's okay." Finn put his hands up to reassure them "We don't want to cause you any trouble. Well, I mean, we ARE causing trouble, but we don't want to cause YOU trouble."

The young lad stepped forward to them. He looked to be about 13 years old "Are you doing something against the First Order?"

Finn and Poe looked at each other for a second "I guess you could say that, yeah" The kid let a smile creep up his face. He nodded, and waved off the others. The rest of the young slaves went about their business.

Rose flashed a ring at them "We're with the Resistance! We could really use your help." she pointed to the farthier steeds "We can free them and you. We just need to cause a commotion, and disrupt the guards"

Luke and Rey pretty much walk into the facility, the Force being their all purpose lock pick to get through the front door. Rey and Luke pulled every trick in the book to sneak through the prison to reach Lando's cell.

Lando Calrissian was sitting comfortably. The cells and hallway were dim with barely any light. "Lando....Lando!" Rey tried to whisper.

Lando looked up at the two shadowy figures approaching. He saw Rey, and smiled rather charmingly "Well, well! What have we here?" he oozed a bit. Then, he saw Luke come out of the shadows, and they shared a friendly grin.

"I see things never change for you, do they Lando?" he almost chuckled.

Lando grinned big "Nice beard! I take it this is the big rescue?" Lando pulled out a small device and inserted it into the locking mechanism before anyone could answer. The cell door opened in a flourish and he walked up to hug them both.

Rey looked at him, shocked "You mean YOU could have escaped at any time you wanted?!!"

Luke stifled a laugh as Lando gave her an innocent expression "I needed to know there was any rescue first. Plus, I love a captive audience!" he takes a bow and walks on. Rey looked at Luke in amazement. The old Jedi Master shrugged and waved his hand to allow her to follow after Lando.

Poe, Finn and Rose led a herd of Farthiers through the city, crashing through casinos and bars, chasing the wealthy about. Guards rushed after them as they rounded through the streets and over expensive vehicles. "Woohoo!!" Rose laughed "We are really shaking things up now!"

"Yeah, but for how long?" Finn rode up and over a scared alien merchant

"We just need to give them to to save Lando!" Poe answered as he smashed his steed through a brightly lit, posh cantina. The disgusting cretins in their nice suits and dresses scurried for cover. The thrio made their way to the city's edge. "We need to get back to the ship!!" Poe pointed to the tall grass.

The herd was suddenly surrounded by Stormtroopers and shot up with tranquilizers! The trio of troublemakers were trapped! Admiral Rani stepped in front of his troops to assess the damage as the guards rounded them up.

"So predictable!" he gloated at Poe "Always the hotshot ready for action". He walked past Finn "The has been, and a traitor! You did nothing for your character here" He walked up to Rose, unimpressed "All that devotion and bluster for the Resistance, and it amounted to nothing for you."

Rose sneered with defiance "I've done more damage to this pathetic world than you can realize!" But Rani yawned and walked away.

"The least you three could have done was surprise me with original thinking. But, as a genius, I'll always win by doing the unexpected! Take them to the race track!" he barked at the guards.

Lando hurried through the tall grass, making his way back to the ship. Luke and Rey followed, but Luke stopped "I sense something bad!"

Rey looked around, then concentrated "I feel it too!"

Lando stopped and turned to them "The others?" Luke gave him a grave expression. Lando gritted his teeth, thinking of how they might be puinished "We have to go back for them!"

Luke pointed to him "Not you. Get on the Falcon. If we're not back in an hour...."

Lando frowned "Oh come on! You actually expect me to obey you? What? You are going to take on the entire First Order with just your lazer sword?"

Luke rolled his eyes "Hey, I'll think of something! We came here for you. Don't get any funny ideas.....like flying the Falcon into danger for a ridiculously awesome rescue! This ain't Endor!"

Lando almost smiled, countering Luke's serious face "Do I look like a man with funny ideas?" Luke frowned, because he knew Lando would not just sit by. But he and Rey had to go back.

Finn, Poe, and Rose were lined up in the Admiral's personal balcony. The large droid brute, IO9, watched over them, taunting their heroics. Rani's guards brought up the scared boy as he was chastising Poe and Finn. "You!" he sneered "You were in charge of the stables! You should have warned us of the intruders! Now they have MY MONEY!!" he yelled "I want this rag of a slave whipped and put in the race! At the very least, he will provide a final night of sport!"

The guard threw the frightened kid to the ground. To everyone's amazement, the kid instinctively threw up a Force wave, knocking the guard off his feet. Admiral Nari was more incensed than scared, but Poe and Finn looked at each other in awe. The kid was Force sensitive!

"Knock it off!" Nari smacked his boot at the kid "Your old magic is useless, just as you were useless in the stables!" Nari grabbed up the whip and smacked the child in the head. The child cried out as he was about to be beaten severely, as was his lot as a slave.

Rani raised the whip to strike again, but Poe moved faster than any guard could have anticipated, grabbing his arm and pulling him back. Poe gave a good stiff punch to the seemingly glass jaw of the Admiral. It was there when everyone noticed how towering Captain Dameron was next to the more diminutive First Order divo. As impressive a figure as he posed, his liberated strike was put to an end as three guards grabbed him every which way possible.

"You touch that kid again, and I'll mop your scrawny head all over the place!" Poe was at a disadvantage, but even detained, he made sure he meant the threat in his voice as strongly as possible.

Luke and Rey witnessed quietly from a distance. Luke in particular had been struck dumb by everything he had witnessed. He had been so bitter and jaded about his failed attempts as a Jedi he had almost missed the surge in the Force that now permeated the area. It was especially strong among the slaves tending to the arena.

"Did you see that?" he gasped to Rey. She also watched from the ship with her binoculars. "Those kids....they can use the Force! The slaves are Force sensitives! I can sense all of them now!" he felt a little overwhelmed, as a burst of hot air had hit him in the face. He suddenly realized that Destiny had a funny way of getting him to see the greater scheme of things, that his past failures would lead him to what could be his greatest potential.

"The greatest treasure of the Force can be found in these children" Rey half smiled "And yet they suffer in the depths of darkness, slaves to an uncaring elite. They aren't even considered for their potential as weapons. Just Fodder to tend the racing stables!" she sighs.

Luke contemplated this and a new path of possibilities. A spark lit up in his eyes as he felt a New Hope within his heart.

Rani wiped his face and stared at Poe with a menacing smile "So, you are going to mop MY scrawny head!" he started to laugh, which encouraged the guards to chuckle along in their mockery of the heroics of this arrogant pilot who had apparently not learned his place in Nari's view of things. "MY scrawny head!?"

"I'll wager he's a tough opponent" one of Nari's smiling officers, Captain Stites, stated with mirth "Maybe you should let the Resistance pilot see how well he handles the saddle! I'll wager he wins against all the others!"

Nari's mouth shot out faster than his brain "I'll take that wager!" The guards, the Officers, even Poe and Finn let their jaws drop a little at the little man's bet against what was surely a silly jest "Put him on the beast, let him race! If he wins, He can be free to mine the spices of Kessel for the rest of his life. If he loses...." Nari walked up uncomfortable close to Poe "I'll gut his friends for him to watch, then roast him on an open fire for the slaves, to let them know that I am in charge of this narrative! I will take him and his companion to the end of their miserable story however I see fit!"

The guards pull Poe away. He raised an eyebrow at Finn's panic stricken face "Well....not what I was expecting, but ok...." he almost shrugged as he was led away.

"Take the brat back the stables, whip them all for their failure!" the Admiral waved off the child. The guards harshly dragged him away from the Officials arena box. Nari looked at Poe, waving to the guards to have him dragged to the stables "Tie him to the most reckless Fathier beast you can find! Oh, and inform the officials I want this race transmitted across the galaxy! I want everyone to witness the failure of the Resistance before my might!"

Rey closed her eyes in frustration. Things were now more complicated. "They're going to kill him! Poe will never finish that race alive, those kids will be broken even with the Force, and we will be stuck on this planet with the blockade until they've caught us!"

But Luke stared at the situation with fresh eyes. "Poe is buying us some time, and I have a plan...."

Admiral Nari grinned as he watched Poe get hoisted up on the racing beast. "It'll be the greatest humiliation the Resistance has known! And when the traitor is carted off the field, I shall attend to my fleet and obliterate the sad remnants of General Leia's forces" he gloated amongst his officers. Rose and Finn sat helplessly from Nari's observation deck high up in the arena.

"Can Poe ride one of those?" Finn murmured.

"He seemed to do okay when we created that distraction" Rose sighed "I just hope is was enough for Rey to get the others safely away from here."

Poe grimaced as he was loaded on top of the beast "I don't know how to ride one of these things!" he growled at the guards. They laughed, ready to enjoy his humiliation and placing bets to see if he can win his way to the spice mines of Kessel. He began to notice the broadcasting droids lining up the field, and was filled with dread. Admiral Nari was going to make sure the entire galaxy would see that the First Order was in complete control. 

"Start the broadcasting immediately!" Nari demanded of the droids "I want this to be a Galactic event!"

The cameras and comm droids lit up around the race track as the crowds cheered the jockeys entering the field. Poe was practically shoved on a large, rambunctious farthier. It growled at him, unimpressed with the new rider. The Stormtroopers gathered around to taunt Poe. "I heard this guy claimed to be the best pilot in the Resistance!" one chuckled. A couple of the troopers punched at him in jest.

"Let's see how well he handles a farthier! Should be easy, right?" One stormtrooper grabbed some shackles and locked Poe's hands to the reigns on the saddle

"HEY!" he tried to pull back, but pulling his hands away only yanked at the tetherings, annoying the already irritated beast.

"I heard he once claimed he could fly an X-Wing with his eyes closed!" another guard joked. One Stormtrooper walked up to Poe, and he winced, recognizing her shiny silver armor and satisfied sultry voice.

"Let's put that claim to the test!" Captain Phasma smiled from under her helmet. They pulled out a blindfold and covered his eyes.

Poe was now quite distressed at this deadly prank "Look, I know we're enemies but come on!!" the troopers laughed, placing bets on how long he would last on the race track

"Put him in the front of the pack, let him have the lead for a moment, it'll be easier to watch him get stomped by the jockeys" Phasma commanded. She grabbed a Farthier beast for herself and two of her troopers "I think I'll join in. I used to ride farthiers for sport on my home world! Let's see how they handle here!"

Everyone watched as blindfolded Poe was led to the front of the starting line. The inner rim was watching. The races here were as popular as podracing in the outer rim worlds. A signal reached the Resistance fleet. Lieutenant Connix gasped and turned to the senior officers "General, we're getting a signal from Canto Bight!"

"What kind of signal?" Leia asked, puzzled at being distracted from a meeting with Admiral Ackbar and Vice Admiral Holdo.

Connix frowned "It's a broadcast of one of their races....but you're not going to like it!" Leia smacked her forehead in disbelief. Everyone in the command center could see Poe Dameron being led up to the front of the racers, followed by Phasma and her guard. Even the jockeys looked rather like First Order soldiers. Leia shook her head as the First Order announcers gleefully proclaimed a special race featuring one of their best soldiers against a pilot of the Resistance. The crew and several pilots gathered behind Leia and the officers. "Snap" Wexley, Tallie, Starck and Tubbs gasped.

"This is not good!" Wexley muttered "Can he even ride those things? Can we change the channel?"

Leia sighed "A thousand channels in the galaxy, but it seems THIS is all that's on right now!" She felt a dark tingle of gloom. There could be no rescue for the rescue team, and this broadcast would only create despair for the allies of the Resistance. She found it hard to believe her entire legacy as a warrior would die on the race tracks of Canto Bight as the horn sounded to start the race.

Another sour face pouted from the other side of the galaxy. Kylo Ren sat alone in his conference room, trying to eat. Snoke was being grumpy again, lecturing him about power and the Skywalker legacy. The only things that made him happy at this point was the thought of capturing Rey or eating.

He was doing a lot of eating today.

His sulking funk was interrupted by General Hux. Normally Hux avoided Kylo Ren with a fervent passion, but something compelled him to dash in, half excited and half dreading the appearance. Kylo Ren had sensed Hux's frantic feelings for the past three minutes before the man entered the room. He just didn't feel up to wanting to deal with it. "My Lord! You may want to see this!"

"What is it, General?" Kylo Ren muttered. He sighed, bored and irritated. Hux switched on the live broadcast. Nothing seemed of interest at this miserable racetrack on Canto, until all the cameras focused on Poe Dameron's form, announcers crowing about the challenge between The First Order and The Resistance for the entire galaxy to witness.

Kylo Ren spit out his food in shock and stood up "WHO IS IN CHARGE ON CANTONICA?!" he growled. Seeing that Poe Dameron and Captain Phasma were breaking all the protocols of war on a live broadcast sent a volcanic pounding through him, and heads were going to roll!

"Ummmm....." Hux was now inching towards the door as Kylo Ren fumed up at the screen "I believe Admiral Terbus Nari is running things. He's a bit....unorthodox. Tends to do the exact opposite of what his opponents-"

"-He's as clumsy as he is stupid! Get to the bridge and plot a course for Planet Cantonica! NOW!!" Kylo Ren stared at the screen. The race horn sounded, and he curled his fists with such intensity the conference table started to buckle under the pressure from the Force. Hux made like a bat out of Hell to get the ship to its new destination fast.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoXej9ybRFI

The horn sounded, the crowds roared as the farthiers yanked forward, beginning the race! Poe yelped as his steed bounced him all around in the first few seconds. He gripped the reigns with his trapped hands, holding on for dear life! BB-8 tried to roll along as best the droid could.

Phasma and her guards galloped with ease, waving around their heavy clubs that crackled with electricity. They could have just struck down Poe right away, but they wanted to make this the kind of spectacle for the all to witness, morally crushing any last vestiges of Resistance in the galaxy.

Poe could hear the stampede of dozens of farthiers behind him, causing him to clutch the reigns hard. Falling off meant getting crushed! "I'm going to die! I'm going to die! I'M GOING TO DIE!!!" he shouted, even though he was drowned out by the thunderous stampede and the crowds that cheered, and fireworks that erupted at various intervals around the track.

Finn and Rose watched in horror as Phasma and her goons taunted Poe from behind, taking jabs at his steed with their weapons. Rani laughed and had guards lined up around the stands surrounding the track "Relax" the Admiral smiled at them "He won't make it out of THIS. Every jockey out there is an agent of the First Order. That's the secret to my success on Canto Bight. I win every race no matter who comes in first." Nari turned to an officer "If he gets too close to winning, just....shoot his animal." Rani and his officers laughed as they watched, making fun of Poe as he hobbled up and down, side to side with his unruly animal on the track. The crowd laughed and jeered as Poe rounded the first lap in comic fashion, constantly in danger of falling.

Bets were placed in a constant state of motion across the racing arena, and in many parts of the galaxy. Many worlds watched in trepidation as the First Order mocked Dameron throughout the ordeal.

Finn was furious. And felt helpless. His heart lumped up in his throat. But then he sensed something. A presence.

"Trust in the Force" Luke's voice whispered to him.

Finn look around and held his breath for a second "How do I save him? How can the Force help us now? It's over!"

Poe galloped clumsily around the bend, yelping as Phasma started narrowly missed him with her weapon. "AGH!! I think I got whiplash!" he yelled.

Finn stared hard, confused by the voice, trying to figure out who was talking to him. "Let go, Finn" the voice whispered more. Finn looked out desperately at Poe. he gritted his teeth with anger.

"How can I let go? I wish I could punish every rotten stinking First Order thug in this arena!"

Luke's voice calmed him with a gentle response. "I have sensed what is in you. YOU have the power to change the outcome. But follow your heart, Finn. Don't destroy what you hate. SAVE WHAT YOU LOVE!"

Finn gasped once more and realized what Luke was saying. He exhaled, shut out the world, closed his eyes and reached out with his hands to Poe.

"What's the Matter, Finn?" Rose looked at him with concern "What's wrong?"

"Nothing" he answered as he concentrated "I'm all right". He felt his way to Poe through the Force, and grabbed the reigns in Poe's hands. "I got you, Buddy" he whispered "Trust in the Force!"

Poe paused in his wobbling panic and tried to look around, even though he was still blind folded "Finn?" he tried to listen to more, but the beasts were now on the straight away, and he yelled as his steed galloped trouncingly down the lane. For a few moments, he thought for sure he would fly off the saddle to his doom.

"I got you buddy!" he whispered. He could sense with his hands, not knowing how or why he was given this gift in the Force. He only knew that his heart awoke with love, and would not sit back without a struggle. He wanted to win. To win for the Love of the one who mattered most to him.

Poe Dameron felt it too. The fear suddenly subsided, the clumsiness went away. He gripped the reigns more smoothly. He was one with Finn now, whipping the reigns with a confident "HAH!" The steed now responded more willingly, and dashed at a breakneck pace that almost left Phasma and her guards in a cloud of dust!

"STOP HIM!" Phasma sneered from under her helmet!

Everyone on the bridge of the Raddus, at first embarrassed and despairing, stared as as change seemed to come over the tone of the race. Even Leia felt it. Their was a strength in Poe now, guiding him as he rounded the bend in another lap. Snap Wexley and the pilots began a silent chant as they balled their fists up and watched in suspense. Ackbar and Holdo looked at their General.

"What's happening?" Ackbar tilted his head, trying to observe the race.

"Something incredible" Leia whispered as she could sense Luke. And Finn's surprising grasp in the Force. "I just hope it's enough..."

Kylo Ren entered the bridge, putting the race up on a big screen for his crew to witness. He was stone cold furious as his command ship lulled its way through hyperspace. "How soon until we reach Cantonica?"

"20 minutes" the navigator replied.

He balled his fists up again "We are going too slow! Make this ship go FASTER!!"

One of the officers looked at him, shocked "If we aren't careful, the ship could sustain damage in the hyper jump and fly apart!"

"FLY HER APART THEN!!!" he yelled back.

Snoke interrupted his thoughts from a comlink behind him. Snoke was rather annoyed and confused "Kylo Ren! I demand a report on-"

"-NOT NOW!!" Kylo Ren shut off the link, his fury overwhelming his common sense!

Finn merged his feelings to Poe, and used his eyes to skillfully steer the beast along the track. "I don't know what's happening, buddy, but it's working!!!" Poe yelled as he galloped along. The crowd, once mocking him with jokes and jeers, now seemed to love an underdog! He round the bend to the straight away to finish another lap. They roared with cheers as bets were changed. The galaxy held its breath.

Rani was no longer laughing at this point "Offer a reward to the jockeys. Have them take out that Resistance trash. I'll give him credit for being a spirited pilot, but Poe Dameron is finished! THE AGE OF HEROES IS DONE!!"

With a timely flourish, Luke opened the door to the Admiral's personal Boxed seating area. "This is not going to go the way you think!" he proclaimed. The guards looked at him, suddenly realizing he was a legendary Jedi. Luke rolled his eyes, a little bored with their shocked surprise and knocked them all off their feet with a wave of his fingers. Brutish droid IO9 tried to smash him with its fists, but Luke pulled out his Light Saber with a lightning attack, cutting the arrogant machine in half. Admiral Rani turned and gasped with wide eyes at him. "Bet you were not expecting THAT, huh?" Luke threw some shade at him.

"YOU!!" Rani scowled "So there is yet one more Jedi to destroy for my Lord Snoke!". He looked around and suddenly cowered back. All his guards were knocked out.

Rose looked back and saw that Luke had cleared a path for escape! "Finn! We have to get out of here!"

Finn blinked and wiggled his tensed up fingers. He looked back at Luke "We have to stop the race and save Poe!"

"You rabble aren't going to escape!" Nari huffed "The planet's under blockade, you have no real plan for escape. I have soldiers all over the track and even riding in the race. You'll never get to Poe in time!"

Luke shrugged. Finn and Rose looked at him for a plan in these next delicate seconds. "You're right. I have no plan. I'm kind of winging it. But that should scare you even more. Finn, Rose! Get down to the track! I'll hold off the entire First Order with just my lazer sword!"

"What?!! That's IT??" Finn raised a panicked eyebrow.

"Clock's ticking, Hero!" Luke raised an eyebrow back at him.

Finn and Rose looked at each other, then jolted into a run over the balcony into the seats below. Rani looked at Luke, puzzled.

"You're not going to kill me?"

Luke shrugged again and sat in the Admiral's coveted seat to watch the race "Oh no. I'll do far worse to you. I'm going to watch this race. And wait." Rani turned to watch the race. Poe was winning as he passed the next lap. But Phasma and the host of racers were catching up.

"He's going to lose! And so will you!!" he growled.

"Wait" Luke quipped.

As the thunder of Phasma's farthier cavalry was about to surround Poe and finish him off, the crowd gasped at a new twist in the race.

Rey charged the the track on her own steed, along with the boy Nari sent to the stables to be whipped, followed by three dozen of the orphan slaves. She lit up her saber and gave the signal to her own cavalry to charge the First Order thugs from behind. The Force sensitive children did not have a good array of real weapons. They only had brooms, rakes, and shovels. But with a mighty yell, Rey led them onward, and they leveled their tools as lances at the enemy racers.

Finn and Rose ran along the length of the stands, getting ever closer to the track. Finn saw Poe and the rest coming up, and he glanced forward and to the track several times, prepping to time a jump into the race.

"ROSE!! Get ready!!"

"READY FOR WHAT?" she shouted

"DO WHAT I DO! NOW!!"

"What??" she shrieked. Finn timed himself to jump onto one of the First Order racers. With a yell, a jump, and a prayer to the Force itself, he landed on a Farthier beast, knocking off its rider! "OH I'VE GOT A BAD FEELING ABOUT THIS!!!" Rose jumped next, and knocked off another rider as she screamed. Finn and Rose got caught up in the race, and started swinging their weapons at the other riders to knock them away. Rey and her riders began swinging brooms and rakes at the riders as well.

Nearing another lap to finish, Poe was getting the hang of blindfolded riding "Finn, I don't know if you can hear me, but we are doing great!! I just wish I could see how close we are to winning this thing!"

Phasma galloped fast, and geared her weapon up to strike Poe once and for all. "I have you now!!" She yelled triumphantly. 

Finn rode up to one of Phasma's guards "HEY!" He punched the rider's helmet, causing him to let go of his weapon and knocking him to the ground. Finn grabbed his stun club as the storm trooper disappeared on the track behind Rey's charge.

"WHAT?" Captain Phasma gasped, seeing Finn ride up next to her! Rose galloped to the other side of the Captain. The second storm trooper tried to cut off Rose.

"Look out!" he yelled to his Captain. Rose ran her steed into his, knocking him into the wall of the track. The trooper spiraled to the ground and vanished behind the cloud whipped up by the other farthiers as the charge continued.

Finn and Phasma battled with their clubs as they lumbered along the race course. They grunted with each swing and grinding contact from their sparking fight.

"You were never very good at combat as I recall, Traitor!!" Phasma taunted

"I didn't have anything worth fighting for UNTIL NOW!" he yelled back. With a mighty heave, he smacked her helmet. He chipped her shiny head ware with the blow. Blood trickled down her face, though Finn could only see one enraged eye glare at him.

"You'll always be scum!" she spat with defiance.

"Rebel Scum" he replied. He made one last swing of his electrified club and knocked her away. Tethered to her steed, she was dragged out of the race as the farthier jumped a fence and ran off with her in tow.

Admiral Rani sneered as he watched Phasma go down in defeat. He glared at Luke, but the old Jedi Master waved his hand in gesture to keep watching.

Finn waved his hand at Poe. The Force removed his blindfold. "HEY BUDDY!" Poe cheered as Finn rode next to him. Rose and Rey also joined them with the Orphan Cavalry.

"I thought I'd never see you again!"

"You're all clear, now let's win this thing and go home!!" Finn cheered him on.

Poe looked ahead to see what he was talking about. It was THE final lap. The winning flag was held up by the finish line as they neared. Poe turned to Finn and lined their steeds up next to each other "We win together! You and me, buddy! Now and forever!"

Poe held out his hand and looked deep into Finn's eyes, as steadily as one could on a rough and tumble beast in a tense race. Finn looked into his eyes, and could feel everything in the Force. It was a life long proposal held out to him, and Finn could think of no better answer than to grab his hand. Even if today was their last, the Galaxy, and the Resistance would see their strength. Their love. Their VICTORY.

They crossed the finish together. And just like that, the galaxy witnessed them become the Spark that would burn down the First Order. Everyone on the bridge of the Raddus exploded in cheers. The entire fleet broke into celebration. The pilots behind General Leia screamed as Poe once again proved that Heroes were real. Leia, Holdo ad Admiral Ackbar sat back with a sigh of relief.

With a hearty gallop, Finn, Poe, Rose and Rey lined up together and pumped their fists in the air at their win before the raucus crowds.

Leia smirked as she watched Poe win an impossible race "Not sure if I want to slap him or promote him!"

"You may want to promote him!" Ackbar looked over at the communications console. It lit up like a fireworks display "The Galaxy is calling, and they want to join us to fight the First Order!!"

Holdo and Leia smiled big.

Rani was furious and gawked at Luke. His entire narrative went up in smoke, destroyed by a love that could not be stomped away. The Jedi stood up, brushed off his robe and climbed onto the balcony to peer down at the race. But his arrogance would not allow him to give in "I'm in charge here! There is no escape! The Resistance is dead, the war is over, and when I kill you, I will have killed the last Jedi!" A mass of storm troopers enter the balcony area and surround Luke.

"FINISH HIM!!" Rani screams. They open fire with every blaster. Luke does not move to defend nor attack. He stands and meets their strength. And he stays standing as their blasts go through him!! Rani and the guards stare at him in disbelief! Luke just wipes his shoulder calmly as he stares back.

"Amazing. Every word of what you just said was wrong. The Rebellion is reborn today. The war is just beginning. And I will not be the last Jedi."

Rani seethed "If I can't kill you, then I will kill them! GUARDS! Wipe out EVERYONE ON THAT RACE TRACK!!!" The storm troopers lined up along the balcony. They held their guns at the ready, waiting as the rebellious racers neared the straightaway.

"You still lose, Jedi!" Rani cursed. Luke stared at him defiantly as a rumbling noise from above drowned out any last momentum for victory the Admiral could muster. Luke sort of rolled his eyes, as he knew Lando could not just sit back. But he was grateful for Calrissian's rebel spirit.

For it was the Millenium Falcon entering the track arena. Lando, Paige, DJ and Chewie handled the cockpit, while Watto watched from a gunning pod. Stabilizing its weight as it lowered into the race, the Falcon blasted its engines, knocking Rani and all his men to the ground with a gust of heated fuel. Watto fired his guns, sending storm troopers and the decadent rich of Canto Bight scrambling for cover.

"Oops" Luke smiled a little, his projected image was unharmed by the Falcon's blasting as it rounded the track to meet up with the racers.

"YEAH!!!" Finn shouted "THAT'S the style, Lando!! THAT'S THE STYLE!!!" The Falcon flew over them and raced just ahead, lowering its landing gear while in mid flight just feet above the ground.

"YEEHAW!!" Lando shouted with excitement "Who wants a free ride to freedom!?" Lando called out on his head set. BB-8 led the way as it boarded the ship. One by one, the riders jumped on board. Though it was soon very crowded, Poe and Finn made sure every last orphan slave riding with them could escape on board. The Falcon lumbered a bit as it flew upward to escape the planet, but Lando smiled as he steered with the ease of a smooth lover.

The First Order soldiers and officers looked on in shock. Luke shrugged again as he felt sorry for the dejected Admiral "You and your kind always seem to forget that the good guys ALWAYS win! Don't feel bad, though. Your name may very well be 'Admiral Ruin' after today's debacle, but think of it as a valuable lesson in failure that you can pass on to the next admiral that takes your place!" Rani shrieked in rage and tried to push the Jedi off the balcony, but his hands passed through the projection.

"See you around, kid." Luke gave him a quick salute, then vanished.

An officer entered Rani's balcony area with a pale expression "Lord Kylo Ren wants an update on the situation!" Admiral Terbus Rani gulped and stared at the Falcon as it disappeared into the atmosphere.

Luke woke up on Ach-To, sitting on his meditative platform. "Well, that was exciting. Time for a nap" he looked up at the sunset and smiled.

"Great race!" Finn hugged Poe "That was one in a million!"

Poe hugged him back "I couldn't have done it without you!"

Rey squeezed past a couple of the farthiers. Down the hall some of the orphans cheered their good fortune. "We're not out of this yet! I can sense Kylo Ren approaching!" She made her way to Lando in the cockpit.

"How fast can we jump to light speed, Lando?" she inquired with haste

"I'm going to need a few minutes" He was quickly hitting switches "I have to compensate for all the new guests and their animals!" A beeping whirled around the cockpit as sensors detected ships exiting hyperspace. "Uh oh" Lando recognized the Star Destroyers. Kylo Ren had arrived, and heads were going to roll.

"Get us out of here!" Rey felt Kylo Ren trying to find her

"Yeah, I think you're right!" he moved the ship into position.

Watto called up from his gun room "Boss! I'm uhhhh, picking up multiple signals, eh? I think we got some tie fighters!!"

"DJ!" Lando called out.

"I'm on it!" he ran to the other gun port. Rey to his seat next to Paige.

Several First Order ships barreled on after the Falcon. Kylo Ren's face was enraged by this point. One of his officers scanned the area, spotting the Millenium Falcon in its final trajectory to escape. He took large steps to the front of the bridge with the biggest Sith sneer he could muster "Blow that piece of junk OUT OF THE SKY!!"

Tie fighters tried to swarm the freighter, but Lando's piloting was as smooth as ever. DJ and Watto started blasting tie fighters as they tried to line up a shot. "Oh, I l-l-l-l-like this!" DJ smiled a bit as he blasted three fighters in a row.

"Great shooting!" Watto grumble "But don't get cocky! Eeehhh!" the small Toydarian cursed as it took more effort for him to hit anything.

Kylo Ren opened a channel to Lando "You are going to surrender now, or I will trash that crate-"

Lando steered the Falcon and caused two tie fighters to collide, blowing each other up. He laughed at the Dark Lord's dramatic anger "Kid, you need to go back to school and learn better tactics if you want to one up a pro. I was dodging tie fighters long before you were a twinkle in your Momma's eyes!" A light flashed, signaling that the ship was ready for its jump "Let me give you a piece of advice from an old gambler and a friend of your Father, *Ben*. Always bet on black!" he laughed again and shot the Falcon into deep space.

Rey could sense the rage of Kylo Ren for an instant, but it cut off as they entered hyperspace. It was just as well. She was more worried when she did not find Master Skywalker on board. She went about, squeezing past the herd of farthiers, calling for Luke. He responded, and she could hear him in her mind. "Go to Ach-To, Rey. There, you will find our Destiny!" She ran up to Lando, and explained in a very fast and confusing manner. He scrambled to make new computations. As much as he wasn't sure why the change, he knew he would have to find a place for all the animals before they started grazing on parts of the ship.

Eventually, the Falcon reached Ach-To, ancient world of the Jedi. They landed near Luke's humble home while he sat meditating on his rock, facing the rising sun. The Farthiers ran out of the Falcon first, to graze and run around freely.

Lando, Chewie, Rey and Paige contacted General Leia. "We have landed on Ach-To to brief Master Skywalker. We should rendez-vous with the fleet in about 6 hours"

"I'm just glad you guys made it out of there safely. You guys stirred up the galaxy, you know!" Leia half smiled "My communication Officer's board has been lighting up with support from allies for about an hour now after that damn fool stunt you pulled on the race track!"

Lando smiled "Well, I had to show these young pups how to do a real rescue!"

"Show off!" Rey laughed. Chewbacca growled and hugged her and Paige. Leia smiled at them and shook her head at the lovable scoundrel Lando.

"Tell Luke I miss him" she replied gently. "I understand he's going to be quite busy with his new school..."

DJ and Watto watched as the farthiers ran free. Watto turned to him "So, ehhh DJ. Maybe you, ehhh, got a taste for this adventure stuff, eh? That was exciting!"

DJ shrugged "It's all a machine, partner. Live free. Don't join."

Watto looked at him like he was crazy "But we just.....but YOU...." DJ just smiled enigmatically

"We blew them up today, maybe tomorrow they blow us up. It's all part of the business" DJ concludes. Finn over hears him as he and Poe exit the ship

"You're wrong" he smiled at the rogues.

DJ smiled back and shrugged again "Maybe"

Rey stepped out, leading the crowd of Force sensitive children. Luke opened his eyes and gave them all a grouchy, curmudgeon smile "What are you doing now?"

She smiled back at him "Restoring the legacy of the Jedi. I think, maybe, THIS time we can set things right!"

Luke nodded with a crafty smile and got up. He walked over to the young former slaves, giving them a stern greeting "I understand you guys might be able to use the Force?" They shrugged, not entirely sure. With each shrug, they instinctively lifted a dropped a bunch of rocks, having no control over their powers. Luke sort of rolled his eyes "When I get done training you little mynocks, you'll wish you were back sweeping on Canto Bight! But, I think we can work with you." he gently kneeled down as they gathered around him.

"You are all special, and your Destiny will restore the Jedi to their rightful place. As Keepers of the Peace. My name is Luke Skywalker. But, for now, you can just call me Master" he half smiled at them.

Rey and Luke went with the new class of padawans and toured the Island. Poe and Finn watched as the new Jedi formed, and the inhabitants became friendly with the farthiers. Chewbacca exited the ship and hugged them with a happy roar.

"You did a good job, too buddy!" Poe smiled at the wookie as he went off to stretch his legs from the ship. Finn sighed "Did we just make everything right? It feels right." They walked along a path near the cliffs and admired the island's natural beauty.

"I don't know" Poe squinted at the sun and smiled "I usually jump into an X-wing to blow up stuff!"

"Maybe you didn't have to do that this time." Finn took his hand, then boldly kissed him. A light breeze cooled their faces as they smiled together. They quietly let themselves absorb the peace and majesty of the Island, completely unaware that their love had just changed the galaxy, opening it to the possibility of a brighter future.


End file.
